One in For the Other
by Seiren Sekito
Summary: Mello and Near find themselves in quite the predicament: each others' bodies! Eventual M/N
1. One

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**AN:** _All right then, this is my very first fic. While most people I have seen are always saying, "Please be gentle" for their reviews, I am telling you to not hold back in your thoughts. I want you to be brutally honest on your reviews for this fic. Flames will be used to charbroil Barbie dolls. If you do like Barbies, refrain from flaming._

_This will turn into a Near/Mello fic later on, with seme Near, because it's so hard to find such good stories of that sort. And I apologize now if someone has used this idea before. I truly would have no idea-I've never seen it used before, and decided to go with it._

_**Warnings Include:**__ Yaoi/shonen-ai in later chapters, body switching, swearing, OOCness in all three children (because it is unavoidable) and an OC or two to play some of the other orphans at Wammy's, and Mello and Near's real names._

_**Timeframe:**__ One year before Episode 27 of the anime. The episode called 'Abduction'._

_**Disclaimer:**__ Alas and alack, their copyrights I do lack, oh…um…crap?_

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**One in For the Other  
By Seiren Sekito**

**Chapter One**

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Mello woke up at 3:00am. He looked around his room and noticed that it wasn't his own room...

_Where the hell am I?_ he thought, looking at the posters of various Transformers and other such robots lining the walls, and a small desk that had an uncompleted white puzzle sitting on its smooth surface.

He groaned, and checked the clock.

_3:00 in the morning? And I'm in Near's room...? What the hell happened last night?_ he thought, scratching his aching head, cursing Matt for sneaking him too much vodka last night, but he didn't feel a thin black glove rubbing his itch, but rather a sensation of nails digging into his scalp.

He got up to go to the bathroom, but something was strange. When he sat up, his neck felt incredibly cold. His eyes widened in shock, and he went to touch the nape of his neck to confirm what had happened to his hair, but stopped.

_I hope to God it isn't what I'm thinking it may be..._ he thought.

He slowly got up, and crept to the bathroom.

When he was in, he ran to the mirror, not to find his creamy face staring back at him, but Near's pallid one. He almost screamed, but managed to cover his mouth with a bare hand, and muffle the noise before it woke everyone.

He stared at himself in the mirror, and Near stared back, his facial features contorted into what looked like the 'Scream'.

_This has to be a dream... This has to be a dream... This has to be a goddamn dream..._ Mello thought, pinching his arm.

"OW!" he cried out, and his socked feet slipped and he suddenly found himself spread eagled on the floor.

_This is... real? Damn it! It's not a dream!_ he cried in his head, when he heard a yell coming from his room.

He stared at the closed bathroom door, when it suddenly burst open.

"Oh my god! What the hell happened?" Mello (who is actually Near) shouted, seeing the real Mello standing in front of the mirror.

"You are…me?" Near asked, looking at Mello, who was staring at Near.

"I hope you didn't wake anyone," Mello said, waving his pale hand at the door to indicate the rest of the house.

"What is going on?" Near whispered furiously, pointing to himself.

"Well... I don't know... I woke up, and I was you... I guess the same thing happened to you... except you're me..."

"I don't want to be you!" Near nearly shouted, but controlled himself at the last moment.

"Well I don't want to be you," Mello stated with the same emphasis as Near.

"What do we do...? This is really very strange... We have switched bodies, Mello... How do you think that happened?" Near asked, hoping Mello would know. He reached up and began to play with a lock of blond hair.

"Don't touch my hair like that!" Mello hissed, before addressing Near's question. "How would I know? I just woke up with a massive hangover! I can't even see straight, let alone _think _straight!"

"Well, should we tell Roger?"

"He won't believe us! He'd think we'd gone crazy... I don't need that. It'd give him an excuse to really think I've flipped my lid!" Mello said, as he waved his arms, not caring how un-Near like it was.

"And how the hell do you live with these?" he said, pointing at his pure white socked feet as he stood, slipped, and fell down again.

"OW!" he cried, as a sharp pain ran through his body.

"Don't hurt me! I don't want to switch back to my own body to find that I've been all bruised and battered!" Near cried, as Mello rubbed the elbow he had banged.

"Sorry! I keep forgetting that I'm not barefoot!" he replied, as his mind reeled with randomness of the situation.

"Let's just go back to sleep and hope it's fixed by morning," Near said, hoping that it would all just be a _very_ vivid dream.

"Fine, but if it doesn't... What the hell are we going to do?" Mello asked, carefully standing.

"We'll just have to pretend," Near said, twirling a lock of golden hair, in a very Near-like manner.

"I don't do that, so... If you're going to be me, then you'd better try harder," Mello said, his brain still not fully comprehending the situation they where in. "And develop a liking for chocolate."

"Let's go... I wish for this nightmare to be over," Near said, turning and leaving the bathroom.

Mello followed, and they both went to their rooms.

"Mmm… Mello? I think we should switch rooms, don't you?" Near asked, his voice louder than he was used to.

"Yeah... I guess so," Mello said, walking over to Near, and entering his room.

Near went to Mello's room, and both slept very fitfully until morning.


	2. Two

_**AN: **And here we are at chapter two. Thanks to the three lovely people for your reviews and support for the idea and the story. I just thought I'd say I had a LOT of fun writing this chapter, especially Mello's monologue to Near. XD But don't think lil Matty will be left out of this! He's got a part to play in all of this madness. And quite a humorous one._

_DI = Desert Industries, which is pretty much like a Goodwill store._

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**Chapter Two**

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Mello woke up, and found he was still in Near's room.

_Shit! We didn't switch back! I should've guessed that we wouldn't! _He sat up, and shook his head, short white hair waving back and forth slightly with each shake_._

He stood, and nearly fell over, because he had stepped on the long pajama bottoms as he had risen.

_I hate this! Pajamas are fun to jeer at, but having to wear them all the time would suck! How the hell does he put up with them?_ he inwardly cursed that he had to switch with Near of all people. _Why couldn't it have been Matt? At least then I wouldn't have to put up with pajamas!_

He staggered to the bathroom, and got to the toilet. He reached down to unzip his fly but found that there wasn't one in the pants he wore.

_Oh god! I hate this! _he thought, as he pulled down his pajama pants, to find that he was wearing nothing underneath.

"Christ! Does he go all day like this?" he said out loud, shocked at the discovery he made.

He stared for a moment as he realized just how small Near was.

_I miss Mr. Happy..._ he thought, looking sadly down at his privates.

_How the hell do I deal with this?_ he thought, looking down at the small thing that apparently wouldn't go as he stood up. Finally, he just plunked down on the toilet and went, feeling relieved.

When he finished, he stood, and pulled up the pants.

_I'm a thirteen year old, who's become an eleven year old, who doesn't wear underwear and has to sit on the toilet to go... Just great, _he thought, leaving the bathroom to run into himself.

"Mello!" Near whispered furiously, looking at him in a slightly panicked manner.

"What?" he said, looking up from the ground, mourning the loss of Mr. Happy.

Near pointed to a bulge in his boxers, and exclaimed, "What is wrong with it? It's been like this for like two hours! How do you sleep with a pole in your pants?" in a tone that betrayed his loathing of Mr. Happy, and his antics.

"Well..." Mello flushed a shade of bright red, and shook his head.

"What? What do you do to fix it?" Near pleaded quietly, begging Mello to tell him.

"I um... You know..." he said, and then he motioned with his hands.

"YOU DO THAT!?" Near whispered, unable to believe that Mello could do such a thing.

"Well... Yeah..." he replied, his face getting redder.

The conversation was interrupted by a door swinging out into the hall and Matt walking out looking like he just woke up, his short red hair sticking up in odd places.

"'Morn," he mumbled, walking almost zombie like into the bathroom.

"Good morning," Mello said with a grin.

Near nodded, and turned back to Mello.

"Near...? What's with you being so chipper in the morning?" Matt asked sleepily, rubbing his de-goggled eyes to rid them of the grit from sleeping.

"Uh... I slept well?" Mello said, fumbling to recover himself.

Matt grunted, and went into the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

"Smooth! You almost blew it on the first try!" Near complained in an undertone, poking Mello in the shoulder with a gloved finger.

"OW!" Mello exclaimed, holding his shoulder, and looking pissed at Near. "If you weren't me... I'd deck you!" he said in a threatening tone, holding a thin arm up, his hand balled into a fist.

Near looked happy that he had not gotten punched, knowing Mello's punches felt like bullets.

Mello gave Near a disapproving look, and then said, "We should get dressed..."

He turned from him, and walked away, heading to Near's room. Near watched after him, and decided that it would be best if he got dressed. He sighed, and turned to Mello's room, walking in and shutting the door.

* * *

Mello opened up Near's dresser, and found a bunch of white clothes crammed into it. He grimaced, hating the bright clothes, even if they made Near look so damn cute. And if anyone had asked him to repeat what was just written, he would deck them right then and there.

Sighing through his nose, Mello pulled out a shirt, pants and a pair of white socks, and put them on. He made a note that he'd have to help expand Near's wardrobe once this odd experience had run its course.

* * *

Near, on the other hand, was not having such an easy time of getting dressed.

He stood in the middle of the room, struggling to figure out how to put on leather anything, and found that it was difficult to even understand the material, let alone put it on. Finally, he gave up, tossing the vest into the corner of the room, opting to not wear it at all.

_How does he wear such clothing? I truly don't understand how someone with a temper such as his can even put up with it... Either way, I should get a shirt and pants on,_ he thought, opening up Mello's closet.

What he found in it made him want to hide.

He couldn't make himself wear any of the shirts Mello usually wore, the ones that made him 'so hot you could fry an egg on him' as some of the girls liked to say. He searched Mello's entire closet, finally dragging out the only decent shirt that he owned, an ugly pea green shirt with orange stripes running horizontally around it, a gag Matt had given Mello on one of his birthdays. He slid it over his head, and pulled it over his chest, the soft fabric caressing his skin, making him shiver.

_What was that feeling? It was... nice, _he thought, looking at himself in the mirror, and nodding, even thought the shirt was too small for him_._

He routed through Mello's pants, and found a pair that didn't cling to his body, making him feel like he had paint on pants, and nodded at the horridness that was his clothing.

_This isn't a typical Mello, but I can make an excuse..._ he thought, looking at the pea green shirt with orange stripes, and the dark green and blue plaid pants that where two sizes too big for Mello's hips.

He nodded one last time, and opened the door, to find Mello standing there.

Mello stared at Near, his eyes full of horror as he witnessed the sight that stood before him.

"What... the hell... are... you... WEARING?!" Mello asked finally, shoving Near back into his room, and slamming the door.

Near gave him a confused look, and waited as Mello talked himself hoarse about the monstrosity of the clothes he chose to wear.

"Nate River, your sense of fashion continues to kill me. First I find that you only have white everything, and then you come out looking like a clown from a frat party! And you're not even wearing LEATHER! How do you expect to make it look like you're me, if you don't even dress like I do!? How do you expect to be able to do anything with all of that extra cloth to trip on? Tell me... How is it that you don't know that those colors make me look horrid? I NEVER wear those colors, and Matt got these clothes from the DI! I don't wear ANYTHING that comes from there! They have an abomination of a fashion sense! Tell me yours is better?" he said, without so much as a hesitation between words.

"And you didn't even brush your hair! Look at the snarls in it! You must thrash around like a dying fish while you're asleep! Good God, just because you go around looking like you've got a mauled duck on your head, doesn't mean that I want to look like that too!" he cried, pointing at the state of mess his normally beautiful hair was in.

Near just looked taken aback, as Mello rushed forward, and began to remove the clothes he had on, practically ripping off the pea green shirt in contempt.

"Now... I'll help you dress properly, seeing that you have no clue how to dress yourself. First I'll show you how to put on leather..." he said, and then stopped suddenly, as a strange feeling crept into his mind.

_Wow is he sexy when he's me... The way he tries to modestly hide behind his arms... Wow... I didn't know I could look so adorable!_ he thought, making a mental note to try this on someone when he was himself again. He gave Near a grin, and patted him on the shoulder.

Near gave him a weird look, stepping back slightly, and looking down at the vest.

"Do I have to wear leather?" he complained, looking back at him for an answer.

"Hell yes you do! I don't want one bit of my reputation drained! I'm going to need it for the future one day!" Mello snapped, his voice lighter and louder than he had intended.

"Let the whole place know why don't you!" Near said, slapping one hand on his hip, in a decidedly Mello manner.

Mello looked at him, and then broke out laughing.

"It looks like you might be okay if you keep that up!" he said as he bent and picked up the vest from the corner.

* * *

After thirty minutes of struggling, Near got the basic idea of how to wrangle on a leather vest.

"Now let's do your lower half... I've got a great one for today! It's supposed to be hot out, so I decided that I'd try one of my summer pair," he said gaily, as he took out a black pair of shorts, made out of-you guess it-leather.

"This should do nicely!" he said, tossing Near the shorts, as he stared in horror.

"This is MUCH too small! How do you wear it?" he wondered aloud as he shimmied into the pair of shorts

"I just do Near... Stop complaining and put it on!" he replied.

Near glanced at himself in the mirror, and almost fainted.

_This is too hot... I'M TOO HOT!_ he thought miserably, waiting for Mello to give him some shoes.

"Here, take these!" he said, tossing some shoes over his shoulder, and smirking.

Near gaped at the shoes when he saw how high they went.

"You want me to... wear Converse?" he gasped, as Mello nodded yes to his question.

He put them on silently; cursing all of the forms of God he could come up with, for their morbid sense of humor.

When he had finished, he could barely move his feet or ankles, as he found the true meaning of high tops.

Mello gave Near an appreciative once over, and slapped him on the ass.

"You're ready to face the world my friend," he said, grinning at how evil he was being.

"You really... want me to... go down... looking like this?" He gasped, fingers twitching as he ached to lose the Converse.

"Yup!" Mello said, tossing Near a chocolate bar and opening the door slowly, and checking to see if anyone else was in the hall. No one was, so he strode quickly from his room, and went downstairs, leaving Near to contemplate his new attire.


	3. Three

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**That last chapter was very fun to write. The outfit Mello had Near wear was based loosely on the outfit Aoyagi Ritsuka wears near the end of the manga 'Loveless' vol. 5. Loosely, it's not an exact copy.**

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**And I don't quite know how this changed from Mello's perspective to Near's, but somehow it has. Oh well, I think it's more fun writing for Near anyway. And don't you think he's being decidedly Mello in this chapter? Good goin' Near!**

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Chapter Three

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Near finally got over his clothes, and started downstairs, his face red from embarrassment, and his arms crossed over his chest, nearly crushing the chocolate bar he held. When he reached the bottom, he was greeted with a catcall from the other side of the room, from what seemed to be a newspaper that had sprouted hair.

"And what was that for?" Near snapped, glaring at the newspaper.

The paper shifted slightly, and gave a cough.

"Nothin'," came a gruff voice.

"Nothing my ass!" Near said, dropping the chocolate and walking over, ripping the paper from the kid's hands.

"Whatayadoin'?" the kid, named Jarid, cried, reaching out to snatch back the paper.

"Did you just whistle at me?" Near said angrily, holding the crumpled paper in one hand and pointing with the other.

"Yeah... I did, but ya never fuckin' cared before!" he replied, flinching as Near raised a gloved fist.

"Don't make me take off your little dangly... I'll do that you know? Or maybe I'll just shoot it off..." Near said in a VERY intimidating voice.

"You... you wouldn't... hurt Mr. Wanky?" Jarid said staring at the fist, and covering 'Mr. Wanky' with his hands.

"Oh you bet I would... Like this..." Near said holding out the paper, and ripping it into pieces with a look of evil in his eyes.

Jarid just choked, and turned very pale, as the shredded paper fell to the floor like snowflakes.

"Exactly like that!" Near snapped, and then walked away, leaving Jarid to sit on the chair, holding his parts, and looking like a ghost.

A few minutes later, Matt walked into the common room, looking a little bedraggled, but freshly showered and more himself.

"What's wrong with Jarid? He was holding himself like someone threatened to remove his dick?" he said, his voice still semi-groggy, even after the 45-minute shower (which was icy cold, not because he wanted it that way, but because the heater was continuously going on strike) he had taken.

Near smiled viciously, and nodded.

Matt's eyes widened behind the goggles.

"You didn't!" he said, and then started to laugh, clutching his stomach with a striped arm.

There was an odd sound of stomping socked feet, and Mello burst into the room, glaring at Near with a look of disgust on his face.

"What the hell did you do that for Near? You're such a little basta..." He didn't finish his sentence, but instead covered his hand with his mouth.

"What is up with you?" Matt said, glaring at Mello and wondering what the hell had happened to Near.

"Uh... I forgot to take my meds..." And he dashed off, closely followed by Mello, who didn't even bother to make an excuse, leaving Matt to stare after the two as though he were contemplating the meaning of life, and failing miserably to understand it.

* * *

"What was that?" Near spluttered in shock, staring at Mello as he stood with his head bowed.

"I... I forgot... But what you did to Jarid was... not-me," Mello said in a whisper, looking downtrodden and dejected, which was strangely enough a perfect Near look.

"Well you just blew it Mihael! You didn't even last a minute!" Near cried, trying to think of a way that he could fix the current situation.

"No! You blew it first! You nearly gave Jarid a heart attack, by threatening to remove his cock! I'm not that big a jerk Near!" Mello replied, feeling a little more confident in himself.

"So? I'm not taking meds, and I don't accuse you of being me! I don't even talk all that much," Near said, fists against his hips, with a look of discontent painted clearly on his face.

"Look imbecile, we're in this boat together... Let's fix the mistake and try again, Matt is pretty gullible, we should be able to pull something off..." Mello said, sensing the fight that threatened to get very loud, and that's the thing that they wanted least to happen.

Near gave a grunt, and turned away, putting his hand on his chin.

"I think we go in there, and we tell him it was a joke, and then he'll be happy."

Near nodded, and then turned to him, a questioning look on his face.

"Why do you put up with Jarid and his odd behavior?" Near asked, looking at Mello for an answer.

"Well... I really don't care much about what he does, just as long as he keeps to himself... He's a good kid I guess, and I don't think he'd do anything bad to me, so I just let him do it."

They spoke of their plan, and then shook hands to seal the deal.

They agreed, and turned and went back into the playroom to find Matt still looking puzzled about their odd antics.

"What the hell was that all about Mels?" he asked, putting his hand on his head as if he had a headache.

"It was a joke," Near said, and turned away, to find Mello glaring at him.

"What?" Matt replied, still just as confused as ever.

"It was a JOKE Matt... Nothing more," Near repeated, turning and grinning in a very odd manner (he wasn't used to smiling all that much).

Matt gave him a strange look, and turned to Mello.

"And I never would have guessed that you had a sense of humor, Mr. Puzzlepants."

Mello gave a slight nod, and proceeded to play with a lock of hair.

"No really... Since when have you found it funny to have a sense of humor?" Matt persisted, which seemed to be the only way to get a straight answer from Near when he was in one of his extra-silent moods.

"It was Mello's idea... He made me do it..." Mello said, pointing at Near.

Matt turned to Near and smiled.

"Huh, I always thought you hated Near. Can you teach me how to make him talk?" Matt asked him, a look of hope in his goggled eyes.

"Why would you want him to talk?" Near replied, curious as to why Matt would want to talk to him.

"I'll tell you later... We can have a night out and go to the bar!" Matt said with a mischievous look in his eyes.

"You're a little young for the bar yet guys," Jarid said as he walked into the room, and then he caught sight of Near, gave a gasp, and fled the room holding himself.

Matt gave a mirth filled laugh, and turned to Near.

"You scared him pantsless! That's another thing you're going to have to teach me!" he said, tears fogging up his goggles as he laughed in amusement.

"I should actually apologize to him... I had a headache when I came down, and I snapped at him..." Near said. He looked unsure of what he had said, and he faltered several time, apologies where not his cup of tea either.

"Well... I suppose you could... But I like that he runs away! Gives me something to smile about!" Matt complained, grabbing Near's arm.

Near reflexively moved back out of Matt's grip, and then he left to go and tell Jarid that he was sorry.

Mello stared at Matt, and followed after Near, to see if he did what he had told him to do.

Near stepped up to Jarid, trying to look kind, but failed to do so entirely.

He smiled at Jarid, in what he thought was a 'I apologize' way, but Jarid saw it as a 'I'm going to eat your babies' smile, and instantly turned into a blubbering heap on the floor.

"Please! PLEASE! DON'T HURT... MY FAM...ILY J...J...JEWLES! I... I COULDN'T... LIVE... I COULDN'T LIVE... WITHOUT THEM!" he bawled, curling up into a small ball on the ground, covering his precious bundle.

Near stared down at him in shock, and couldn't say a word, until something hard hit him in the back of the head.

Mello cleared his throat, and glared, and Near nodded.

"Jarid... I'd like to apologize..."

"DON'T HURT THEM!" Jarid screamed, trying to find a way to escape.

"I really shouldn't have said that... I was... In a bad mood... Sorry."

Jarid continued to cry in panic, gripping himself, as he rocked back and forth, trying to calm himself.

Near bent down, and after a few moments hesitation, and a glare from Mello, and wrapped his arm around Jarid's shoulder.

Jarid froze instantly, and his eyes widened in horror.

"I won't do it... I'm sorry I... Threatened you," Near said, in a tone that was supposed to be resentful, yet came out as a more frightened tone because apologizing was difficult.

After a few moments, Jarid let go of his balls, and looked up at Near.

"You're... you're really sorry?" he asked, his face still pale from his shock.

"I am... Very sorry," Near said, and he leaned in and, hating every moment of it, planted a chaste kiss on Jarid's forehead.

Mello had to leave the room to keep from laughing, as he saw the look of disgust on Near's face as he stood up and started to leave.

"Hey Mels?" Jarid began, his confidence back up to normal standards.

"What?" Near asked, turning around with a smile, so that he didn't scare Jarid again.

"You got a nice ass!" he said, pointing to the mirror on the wall behind Near.

Near just glared at Jarid, and said, "I'm going to kill you! You little..." and rushed to tackle him, but Jarid was too fast, and Near couldn't run well, for the extremely tight Converse hampered his ankles.

_I will kill that pervert one day!_ Near raged in his head, as he toppled onto the sofa, for he had taken a corner too sharply, and his ankle had twisted the wrong way, leading into an odd stumble, that ended with a face plant into the cushions.

* * *

**_Poor Jarid, lol. …Nah, not really._**


	4. Four

**Hello guys, and welcome back! I'm glad I updated back when I did, because if I hadn't, you would've been waiting even longer for this chapter. My laptop decided to crash on me as I was surfing deviantART, and it wasn't fixed until very recently…**

**Of course, during that time I completely fell in love with a CERTAIN character of DN… my new avatar should easily give it away. Heh. -.-;; And I also finally got to see Coraline, which wasn't as creepy as everyone made it out to be… Even when I watched it with surround sound and all of the lights turned off with 3-D glasses. Disappointing, actually…**

******Other than that, I had fun with this chapter. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter Four**

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* * *

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At 8:30pm, there came a knock at Mello's door.

Near got up, and answered it, and was not surprised to find Matt standing there, looking very excited.

"Let's go Mello! I want to take that night out tonight! The band 'Within Temptation' is on stage at the bar, and I want to go see them!" Matt said, bouncing in a very animated manner.

Near gave a nod and smiled, still trying to get used to the feeling.

Matt grabbed Near's hand, and dragged him to his room, and presented him with an open closet.

"Help me pick out a cool outfit! I want to look good for the lead singer... She's a hottie that one," he said, dancing on the spot, watching as Near stared at the box of video games that had its lid off.

"Hey... Isn't that my Brain Age game?" Near cried, pointing to the case in the box, eyes wide and mouth hanging open in shock.

"Uh... Heh... No... That's Near's..." Matt said, quickly jumping up and putting the lid on the box, and hiding it behind his back.

"GIVE IT BACK! I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR THAT FOR AGES NOW!" Near bellowed, nearly flinging himself onto Matt, in hopes of grabbing the box.

"It's Near's!" Matt cried, jumping back to avoid Near's snatching hands.

Near stopped, and looked at Matt. He was having a lot of trouble not throttling the twelve year old, as he had now found the video game that he had been told he lost when he was last outside for the day.

"Sorry..." Near said, turning back to the closet to help him pick out an outfit.

Matt looked puzzled, but came back over, not taking the box from behind his back, and sat on his bed.

"So... Help me with my clothes!" Matt asked, watching as Near scanned the wardrobe.

After ten minutes, Near grabbed Matt's favorite non-striped shirt (a black shirt with the words 'When you don't know what's going on, just smile' on it and below that was a crudely drawn smiley face), and tossed it to him. He pulled out a pair of black denims and a chain, and added that to the pile too.

"Hey, that's not a bad idea! I like the way you think!" Matt said, as he began to strip off his vest, tossing it aside, while Near made a desperate attempt to turn away so that he didn't see him.

"I think I'll wear an undershirt, though," he said, taking off the striped shirt that he was wearing, and then began to rummage through his clothes to find a black undershirt. Then he noticed Near, and gave him a puzzled look.

"What's up Mels? Why're you looking away? You've seen me topless before... You always help me with my clothes when we go out," Matt said, walking to stand in front of Near, completely shameless of the fact that he had no top on.

Near looked up, and felt his face turn red as he saw Matt in his semi-naked state.

Matt raised a ruby brow, and then turned back to looking for a black undershirt.

Near continued to try to look away, not wanting to add to Matt's suspicions.

He found one, and pulled it on, while Near thanked the stars that it was over, but then he saw him taking off his pants, and he shook his head, and looked away again.

Matt hadn't noticed Near's behavior, for he was admiring his boxers, then he turned to Near and said, "I forgot I had these on! Aren't they awesome, Mels?" trying to show Near the Navi-printed underwear, but Near was studiously looking in the other direction.

"Seriously Mello, am I too ugly to look at or something? You could tell me that..." Matt said as tears began to form in his be-goggled eyes.

"No..." Near said, and he turned to look at the underwear.

His eyes fell on Matt's hips, and he couldn't pull them away... It was the first time he'd seen the redhead this undressed in his life, and he was shocked.

"You like them don't you?" Matt said, giving his hips a little shake, and then nodded, and slid into the denims and clipped on the chain.

Near shook his head, and said, "Yeah... Awesome."

"Good, now let's go look at your stuff... I want to help you now!" Matt said, grabbing Near's hand again, and dragging him back to Mello's room.

They where back in Mello's room in no time, and Matt was tossing out a bunch of black leather tops, looking for the right one.

"You've got this really cool black top that I love, where is it?" Matt asked, looking at him for some guidance.

"Uh... I don't remember where I put it," Near said, thinking desperately about where it might be.

"But... It's your favorite shirt? How could you not know where it is?"

"I think it's in the wash," Near replied, saying the first place that came to his mind when he didn't know where an article of his clothing was.

"God! Don't tell me that! I want us to be twins!" Matt cried, as he threw more of Mello's clothes everywhere.

After what felt like hours, Matt, having thrown half the wardrobe's worth of clothes on the ground, came up with a smile.

"Found it!" he said, walking over to him, and showing him the shirt.

It was a black cotton top as well, with the words "Genius by birth, slacker by choice" on it in Stencil-like font. It was to Near's shock, a very small shirt, and he could feel a blush rushing up to his cheeks.

"And you can wear a pair of black jeans too, so we'll be pretty much like twins."

Near nodded, and stared at the top with a sort of morbid fascination.

"Uh... Mels? You going to get dressed?" Matt asked, waving a hand in front of Near's eyes, causing him to snap to attention.

"Yeah... Okay," he said absently, as he started to strip off his shirt, putting on the black one, and then looking at himself in the mirror.

What Near saw was something many girls would kill to see, and Near sat there, looking slightly frightened at the sight, unsure if he was about to cry or have to use the bathroom.

He snapped out of his stupor, and looked around to see Matt smiling.

"The girls'll be all over you! There's nothing black can't do for a guy, you know? Wish I could pull it off like you," he said, wishing there were a way to demonstrate his desires.

"You don't want girls all over you... Trust me..." Near said, with a little too much loathing escaping than he had intended.

Matt laughed, and motioned for him to put on the pants.

Near complied, but felt a little embarrassed at the attention he was getting from Matt.

"That's another thing you've got to tell me! How the hell do you get abs like that?" he said, showing him his flat stomach, and grimacing.

"Working out," Near said, as he buckled the black leather belt around the pants.

"Hmm... I should try that sometime... Instead of eating playing video games and sitting around... They say hyper active metabolisms don't always stay hyper," he said sadly, patting his belly, and then pulling down his shirt.

"We should get going though," the redhead continued, and grabbed Near's hand again.

He dragged him down the stairs and out to a black convertible.

"We've got a half hour before show starts!" Matt cried, jumping into the front next to Near, and watched him fumble with the keys.

Finally Near got the car started, and pushed down the gas petal a little to hard, and the car gave a loud growl, and shot forward like a cork, nearly throwing them into the dashboard.

"God Mello! What the hell was that?" shouted Matt, as he rubbed his head where it had hit the window.

"Sorry," Near said, and pushed down on the gas with less force._I'm only eleven! I've never driven a stupid car before in my life!!_They started off again, but this time at the slow and stately pace of 20mph.

"If we go this slow Mels, we'll be late!" Matt complained, pointing at the dashboard light.

"Fine! You want to drive?!" Near replied, pulling up the emergency break by mistake, which made the car go into a donut in the middle of the road.

"Are you trying to kill us?" Matt yelled, as he was flung into Near's lap.

"No!" Near said, as the car stopped, smoke rising from the tires, giving off the pungent smell of burnt rubber.

"Well you made a good fucking attempt!"

"Sorry, I'm a little... Nervous..." Near said, feeling relieved that the street that they where on was empty and dark.

Matt laughed.

"Worried about what? The girls?" he said, laughing madly.

"Uh..."

"Mello! You know as well as me, that once you've had a few drinks, you're the life of the bar!" Matt continued.

"But..."

"Don't worry!" he said again, patting Near on the shoulder.

Near gave up, and looked at the dashboard.

"So... Can I drive?" Matt asked hopefully.

Near turned to him, about to say 'go ahead, be my guest' when he remembered who he was speaking to.

"On second thought, how about I just keep going?" he said, silently praying to God that they got there alive.

They continued after a few more moments, and arrived at the bar with a few minor problems, but they where alive, that's what counted.

"So? You ready for the greatest night of your life?" Matt said, pulling Near toward the door to the bar.

Near merely whimpered in response, but Matt took it as a 'yeah, let's go party till we drop.'

* * *

**Poor Matt and Near. And this time I'm serious. Just what wonders await our lovely little albino and our favorite gamer? We'll have to wait and see next time!**


	5. Five

**Sorry for the long wait. Bronchitis plus paint fume induced headaches plus common cold equals complete misery. Either way, I had a LOT of fun writing this chapter. XD**

**Warning: This chapter contains UNDERAGE DRINKING. I don't, by any means, support something like this. But for the story to go in the way I wanted, I had to use it. DO NOT DRINK IF YOU ARE UNDERAGE. Actually, don't drink AT ALL. That's all. Enjoy the chapter.**

* * *

**~oOo~**

**_Chapter Five_**

**~oOo~**

Near really wondered if he was going to have the 'best night of his life', knowing that that would involve a lot of alcohol, and possibly a bunch of hookers and horny guys. He thought this was actually going to be the worst night of his life.

They pushed past many tables of drunk or soon to be drunk people, Near receiving several appreciative slaps to his bottom as he passed by particularly bold idiots.

"Take yer pants off love! You'ves got a nice ass!" boomed a large man with a scraggly beard.

"Go to hell," Near replied, hating every moment they spent in the bar like a child hates broccoli.

The man stood up, and looked at Near with anger in his eyes.

"WHA YOU SAY TA ME?!" he bellowed, wobbling on his unsteady feet as he pointed an accusing finger at Near.

"I told you to go to hell," Near answered, giving the man a cold glare that would make any sane man hide and cover himself up in fear. But this man turned out to be completely insane.

"YOU WANNA FIGHT PUNK?! I'LL BEAT YAH GOOD, BOY!" he cried, as he lurched toward them with frightening speed for a drunk man.

But before the man even moved a foot, he stumbled with a great cry of pain, and collapsed onto a table, which shattered as he hit it.

Then a girl with long black hair came up to them with a grin on her face.

"Sup Mels? How's Wammy's doing?" she said, casually slipping her taser back into her pocket.

Another girl appeared next to the blackette, playing with her light blonde braid, and smiling a bit.

"Hello," she said to them, inclining her head slightly toward them in greeting.

Near looked at the two females with a shocked look, and then spluttered, "M-M-Maya? Faye? What're you two doing here?" he asked.

"We're here saving you from big burly assholes who've had too much to drink," Maya, the blackette, replied, grinning like the Cheshire Cat.

Faye just nodded her agreement, and checked her watch.

"May, ten minutes..." she said, and walked off toward the door.

Maya gave a curt nod, and turned back to Near.

"So, I asked how Wammy's was doing..." she asked again, looking at Near for an answer.

Near thought about the question for a moment, and then nodded.

"That's great! I'll tell you, it's the best spot to stop and get a good sleep... No dumb brutes around to harass you, right?" She smiled some more, and cocked her head slightly, drinking in the sight before her.

Near nodded again, and looked away.

"Want a drink? S'on me okay?" Maya said, turning to the bartender, and shouting something that Near wasn't paying attention to.

Matt was smiling the whole time, as he watched Maya try to weasel her way into Near's heart, and failing miserably to do so.

"You seem a little down Mels? Drink up, it'll make you feel better," Maya said as he handed Near the drink.

Near looked down at the dark brown liquid in the glass, and nearly threw it in Maya's face.

"I'm fine," Near snapped, taking a sip of the liquor, and almost gagging.

"What the hell is that?!" he gasped, sloshing some of the alcohol onto Maya shirt.

For a moment Maya's ever enduring grin seemed to falter as she stared down at the large damp spot on her new shirt, but it quickly reappeared when she answered Near.

"Well by God, it's the most amazing beer I've ever drank in my life! Best brew this side of the world Mello! And now I've got it decorating my front!" She laughed it off, but the 7500 yen shirt was ruined, and she was sure that she couldn't get reimbursed for it at work.

"Well, I best be off..." she said, nodding again, and then quickly exiting the bar.

Matt stared after him, and then turned to Near.

"You really screwed that one up Mello! Why don't you just date the girl already? She's hot, and she's got a fair bit of money when she doesn't spend it on alcohol," Matt said in a tone that suggested utter disbelief.

"Well first off I'm Ne... Uh, I mean I'm ahh... Already dating some one," Near said, flinging out the first thought that came to his mind to cover up for his near fatal mistake.

Matt looked up at Near with a look that would remind you of a kid at Christmas, his eyes wide and full of mischief as he gazed at him.

"You're... You're already dating someone Mels? And you didn't tell me!? Really?" he said, his wonder dissolving into shock.

"Uh... Well... Not exactly dating..." Near continued, as his mind worked at light speed to pick up yet another blunder that he had made.

"Dear God! And I thought you'd never get over Nancy!" Matt continued, shaking his head as if he where checking to see if he where dreaming.

"Nancy?" Near asked, his eyes narrowing slightly at the name.

"Yeah, you know... Nancy Near!" Matt said, grinning at Near as a look of shock spread across his face.

"What do you mean... 'Get over Nancy'?" he answered, mouth hanging open.

"Don't try to play innocent with me Mello! A lot of the kids know about your little crush on Mr. Snow White," Matt replied, giving Near a wink.

"Crush?" Near said, still not sure what he was saying.

"Okay... Did you start drinking before we got here? You don't act like a ditz until after you've had a few..."

"No... I haven't!"

"Let me put it simply... We know you love Near, Mello... You're almost madly in love with him... Everyone knows about it... That's how obvious you make it with that show of hatred crap! And to think, Nancy's so dense that he doesn't even notice!" Matt answered, laughing at the fact that Near was indeed very dense.

"Mello like me?" Near blurted out, completely forgetting that he _was _Mello at the moment.

Matt gave Near an odd look, and shook his head.

"You must have been drinking... You're acting like Near!"

Near looked taken aback.

"Shit!" he muttered under his breath, and ordered something strong with ice, and laid his head against the table.

Matt continued to shoot odd looks at Near, while another person watched the two of them with interest.

_Looks like that pretty boy is having a bad day... I could score some points if I could cheer him up,_ the woman thought, as she watched Near putting his head on the counter.

The woman stood, and sauntered over to the bar, and slipped in next to Near, and laid a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"You all right there, sir? You're looking a little down?" she asked, rubbing Near's back in a comforting manner.

Near looked up, and glared at the woman.

"Get your hands off of me miss, or I'll shoot something..." he said in a threatening way, his eyes narrowed in anger.

"Oh sorry, it was rather brash of me to do that," the woman said, removing her hand quickly, and putting it in her lap.

The bar tender brought Near the drink, and Near downed it in three gulps, and slammed the glass on the counter, ordering another one.

The woman stared at Near, and then started laughing.

"You drink like an adult... Oh, my name is Jade... What's yours?"

Near looked at the drink that was being poured, and then looked at Jade, and then back at the drink.

"Mello..." he said after a few moments, and then he chugged the second drink, and put the glass down again.

"Mello... I know that name! You're from Wammy's right?"

"Yes. And?" Near asked, as the bar tender filled his glass again.

"Well... I just thought... Never mind, what's on your mind, if you wouldn't mind," Jade said, looking down at the bar, and frowning.

"No... I really don't want to talk to you... Please leave me alone... I've got enough on my mind to worry about," Near said, drinking the third beer a lot slower, taking sips instead of gulping it down.

"I'm sorry to bother you sir, I'll leave now," Jade said, getting up and walking back to her friends, disappointment written clearly across her face.

"Wow Mels... You really seem down... You haven't gotten over Near, have you?" Matt asked, as he watched the dejected Jade walk back to her table.

"I am... And no, I'm not going to talk about it!" Near snapped, as he saw Matt opening his mouth to respond.

Matt nodded, and ordered himself a cold beer, watching Near as he did.

__

I wonder what's gotten into Mels? He seems to be having a really bad day. The band's late, and he's acting pissy, like usual, but it's a calm kind of pissy, not his usual loud kind... What's going on?

* * *

**Maya, Faye, and Jade were all thought up on the spot. I have no emotional feelings toward them. If you don't like them, feel free to kill them in whatever way is stress-relieving. The same for Jarid, too, except he's based on someone from real life.**


	6. Six

_**Um, wow. I've kind of been gone for awhile, haven't I? Heh. Sorry about this wait, guys, life caught up with me, and a very close friend of mine recently passed away, so.**_

_**Let's not dwell on that. Let us instead embrace this update, and hope that the next one comes soon! I love reviews! *sending subliminal messages***_

* * *

Chapter Six

* * *

Mello, meanwhile, was at Wammy's, feeling extremely bored. He sat in Near's room, looking around at the many sundry things that he had scattered around the room. Various complete and incomplete puzzles littered the desk and floor, and a few Rubik's Cubes and Transformer toys were on the bedside table.

He sighed, and got up, looking at himself in the mirror.

_Of all the people in Wammy's, it had to be Near... This really sucks,_ he thought, as he moped around, trying to act neutral.

He stopped in front of the mirror, and looked at himself, the white-haired albino staring back at him.

_I wish you knew, Near... How much I really wanted to know you... And here I am, living in your body, and hating every moment of it..._

* * *

Near was by now giggling to himself, as he drank his eighth beer. His eyes where slightly crossed, and he would lurch to one side or the other, and give a hiccup. Matt was staring at him like he'd gone mad.

"And I was like, look you buffoon I'll beat your pasty face in, and he ran away like a little chicken," Near said, as the group of avid men watched him weave on his stool, holding the remains of his last drink.

"Wow... You're one tough punk aren't you man?" one of Near's admirers said, laughing.

"I bet he's lying like a rug... Just in it for the attention... I'd give him some of my attention!" the man whispered to his partner, and then proceeded to walk up to Near.

"You look like you're a little lonely man... Have you got a girl?" the man asked, sitting next to Near.

"No... Haven't got a girl... hyuck..." Near said, looking unsteadily at the man next to him.

"Good... How's about I take you home... You look like you're past your limit..."

The man grabbed Near by his elbow, and lifted him from the stool.

"Nah... hyuck... I'm fine... Haven't even started..." Near said, as the man pulled him along.

"No man... Don't worry... I've got you," he said, a slightly sadistic smile on his face.

He let his hand drift down to Near's butt, and gave it a gentle slap.

Near gave a gasp, and turned to the man.

"You asshole... hyuck... Don't you dare!" And shoved the man away from him, causing the man to stumble into a table.

"C'mon man... I didn't hurt you did I?" the man said, as he stood up from the ground.

"You bastard!" Near said, swinging a punch at the man, and connecting solidly with his jaw.

The man fell back, and gave a growl.

"Little punk... You're going to pay for that!" he said, wiping the blood that trickled from the corner of his mouth.

Near reached for where he knew Mello kept his gun, but his hand didn't find its handle anywhere, and he cursed.

"Matt! Where the hell is my gun?" Near shouted, looking over at Matt to get an answer.

"We didn't bring it, Mello!" Matt answered, looking even more confused.

Near grunted, and turned back to the man, who had taken off his jacket.

"You ready to feel hurt punk?" the man asked, cracking his knuckles.

Near gave a lurch, and lifted his fists.

"Guess I'll have to... hyuck... do this the old fashioned way," he said, and stumbled toward the man.

The man threw a punch, and Near ducked it, something he probably wouldn't have done if he were in his own body.

He drove in, and hit the man with two jabs to the gut, knocking the wind out of the guy. He finished the attack with a well-placed roundhouse kick, which sent the man crashing to the floor, trying to recover his breath.

"That's for being a bitch," Near said, and staggered back to the bar.

"Sir... I'm going to have to ask you to leave the bar..." the bar tender said, as Near approached.

"Why?" Near asked, trying to look at the bar tender, but his eyes just wouldn't focus.

"You've fought in a public bar... That's something we discourage," the man said apologetically.

"Fine... I was getting sick of this place anyways..." Near murmured, and staggered toward the door.

Matt gave a disappointed groan, and followed Near out of the bar, only to find him passed out on the side of the road.

"What the hell's gotten into you?" he said, as he hoisted Near's limp form into his arms.

"Damn, that chocolate isn't doing you the least bit of good, with how light you are," he grumbled as he started for the convertible. They reached it, and Matt wasn't even panting from the exertion of carrying Near. He fished the keys out of Near's pocket, and put it in the ignition. With a turn, the convertible gave a long chugging-like sound, and didn't start.

"Oh for God's sake!" Matt said, slamming his fist into the steering wheel.

This somehow made the engine work, for he gave one last try to starting it, and it came to life.

He stared at the pedals, trying to figure out how the car worked.

_I think this one's the gas,_ he thought, as his foot hovered over the brake.

He pushed down on it, and nothing happened.

He tried the other pedal, and the car started to move forward.

"Yes!" he said happily, as he slammed the brake, making the car jerk to a halt.

"How the hell does it go backwards?" he said, looking at the gearshift that sat between them.

"This must be it," he pulled on the shift, and it didn't budge. He pulled harder, and still nothing.

"Is it stuck?" he wondered, throwing his weight against it, when it gave, and moved down to the '2'.

"STUPID THING!" he cried, trying to move it to the 'R', but it wouldn't move.

Then he noticed another pedal, and he stared at it.

"What the hell is that?" he asked out loud, hoping Near would answer, but he was too busy being unconscious.

He pushed on it, and there was a 'thunk' from somewhere in the front of the car.

"Hmm... Interesting," he said, looking down at the clutch.

He tried it again, and this time it moved smoothly.

"WOW! I GOT IT!" he crowed happily, pushing on the gas, watching in amazement as it moved backwards.

"Ha! In your face Jarid! I can to learn how to drive!" he said triumphantly, as he backed the car into a light post.

"Oh shit!" he gasped, as the loud crunching came to his ears.

He looked to find that the back of the convertible now had a pole crushed into it.

He gave a shudder, and looked over at Near.

"Looks like I shouldn't drive... Mello... I really don't like you that much now!" he said, as he got out, and pulled Near up into his arms again.

"We're walking... And I'm going to tell them that you broke the car," he said, glaring at Near. Near's head just fell against Matt's shoulder response, and that was all.

* * *

_**Oh, the woes of driving… Poor Matt, lol.**_

_**Guess what?! I just saw Alice in Wonderland on Saturday, and I saw THE MOST AWESOME trailer for Tron: Legacy! *squee* Plus, the movie was great, too, but I think they need to remake the cartoon one for it to be EVEN BETTER. I totally recommend the movie to any and everyone! And with that, I bit you farewell. See you next time!**_


	7. Seven

**I've recently gotten into the well-known anime Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood. It's the reason why this update took two or so weeks. I've been avidly looking up some good FMA fanfiction, and I stumbled across a BEAUTIFUL crossover between it and Fruits Basket.**

**It's by Primitiveradiogoddess, called "The Alchemist and the Zodiac". The chapters near the end got to be 50~80 pages, and I just finished the last one. I have eye strain like hell, so I'm just going to update this now and go take a nap.**

**But before I do, I give credit to Primitiveradiogoddess for her song inspiration thing she puts at the beginning of her chapters. I think I want to start doing that, too.**

**[Chapter Playlist: "Time's Scar" from the Chrono Cross soundtrack, "To be Continued" from the Crisis Core: FFVII soundtrack, and "The Promise" by Within Temptation.]**

* * *

Chapter Seven

* * *

By the time Matt got Near home, he was going to die. His body was trembling from head to toe, and he was breathing in a way that resembled Roger after one of his screaming fits.

He swaggered to the door, and leaned against it, resting his head, which was throbbing and covered with sweat.

He gave a kick to the door and then collapsed, panting from dragging the extra body heat around an already humid and hot night.

Mello, who was wearing a cool façade as he answered the door, frowned down at Near with a look of confusion.

"Great… Just the person I wanted to see… Snow White," Matt whined, looking up at Mello from the ground.

"What's wrong with him?" he said, pointing to Near.

"Hmm, do you really want to know?" Matt asked as he dragged himself to his feet.

"He had too much to drink… passed out at the wheel… and backed the convertible into a light post… It's sitting in the parking lot," Matt panted.

Mello's eyes widened, and he growled.

"That's my car… Why'd he go and break it?" he said, grabbing Near from Matt's arms and carrying him to the couch in the living room, happy that Matt hadn't heard him slip up.

"I know… What a silly," Matt said, stumbling into the building and nearly taking out a coat rack by the door.

"Are you drunk too?" Mello asked as he put Near on the couch.

"No… Carried him from the bar… Body suddenly feels like it's on air."

"Oh…" Mello answered, trying not to look too concerned.

Matt staggered up the stairs, and went to his room, while Mello attended to Near.

"What an ingrate… Getting drunk and crashing MY car… If he was himself I'd kill him!" he whispered. He went about getting a bucket and some cold water and a rag, and proceeded to try and wake Near up.

As he laid the cold cloth over Near's forehead, Linda walked in.

"What're you doing?" she asked, quite confused as to why Near would be nursing anyone back to health.

"I'm trying to wake him up… He crashed the convertible!" Mello said miserably, looking over at Linda for sympathy.

"Um… Don't you that thing, Near? You always ride in cars with tinted windows, and now you're sad that convertible is crashed?" Linda shook her head in confusion. "Must be the Sharpies… The fumes are getting to my brain. Nevermind," Linda said wandering off to clear her mind.

Mello glanced at Near, who seemed to be still unconscious.

"Wake up stupid!" he said, giving Near a shake.

Near gave a snort, muttered something about 'mother' and then passed back out.

"…GrrrrrrrRRRRRR! What the hell! Wake up!" Mello slapped Near with a small hand, and this jerked Near out of his stupor, and he looked around as if he had been shot at.

"Mello! What was that for? I was having a strange dream about this boy… Wait… That doesn't sound right…" he said, glaring at Mello as he stared at him as if he had grown an extra head.

"Are you saying that you just had a dream about a boy? What did he look like?"

"He looked a lot like me… But he was a high and mighty jerk…" he said, looking at Mello in an odd manner.

He made a shocked sound in his throat, and then turned away, blushing furiously.

"Wait a second… That was me wasn't it?" he said, looking at Mello in confusion.

"Why would I be having dreams…?" he started, and then remembered what Matt had said, "_Don't try to play with me Mello! A lot of the kids know about your little crush on Mr. Snow White._"

"Ah ha! You like me!" Near said, pointing a finger at Mello, his brain completely befuddled from the alcohol.

Mello turned to Near, mouth agape like he was trying to catch flies, eyes big as saucers.

Just then Jarid walked by.

He saw 'Near' gaping, and raised an eyebrow.

"What the heck's your problem… Did Misa-Misa's boob fall out of her shirt on TV, because you look like you've seen the wonders of the known world."

Mello snapped out of his shock, and glared bullets at Jarid.

"No… I just had a realization about L," Mello said, trying to come up with a plausible excuse for his strange behavior on Near's behalf.

"What…? That he's already got a boy friend…? Is that all you ever think about Near!?" Jarid said in a joking manner.

"Shut up!" Mello said, intensifying the bullets into flaming plasma bullets.

Jarid looked away, apologized, and left without getting an answer.

"So… How did you… um… Find out?" Mello said, blushing again.

"At the bar… Matt asked me if I had gotten over Nancy… Because I told a that I was already dating," Near explained, trying to figure out what Mello was thinking.

"Oh," Mello said, his voice small, something Near hoped would never happen again, coming from his mouth.

"So… You know…"

"Yeah…"

"What're you going to do?"

"In this state…? I don't know."

Mello couldn't hold it back any longer, and he dropped down beside Near, and kissed him, despite the odd situation.

The kiss broke, and Near just looked up at Mello with a strange face.

"Uh… What was that?" came a voice neither of them wanted to hear at this moment, as Matt walked in, dressed in his pj's.

Mello jumped away from the couch, and looked away.

"Nothing," he grunted, trying to look casual, but failed miserably.

"Oh… Did he tell you Snow White?" Matt said, grinning slightly.

"I thought you were going to bed," Near said, sitting up on the couch and looking at Matt in a strange manner, a combination of both happiness and anger.

"Tell me what?" Mello said, eyes narrowing again.

"Oh… Maybe he hasn't… Never mind," Matt replied, grinning again.

"You wait there Mail!" Mello bellowed, pointing a finger at Matt. "Tell me what?"

"Did you just call me 'Mail' Near?" Matt asked, confusion clouding his face.

"Yes… Yes I did! Is there something wrong with that?" Mello asked, putting his hands on his hips.

Matt just stared.

"Have you been taking lessons with Mello? You've got the whole hands-on-the-hips thing down, and that frown is vaguely reminiscent of Mello's displeased face," Matt asked.

_Shit!_ Mello thought, quickly removing his hands from his hips.

"Uh… No… What are you talking about anyway?" Mello said, trying to make up for his fumble.

"Never mind again… I really am going to bed now," Matt just wanted to get out of the awkwardness, and just go to sleep.

He went up stairs before the others could protest.

That left Mello and Near to stare at each other in awkwardness.

* * *

**Oop, if Mello keeps THAT up, Matt will connect the dots… ^^ Sorry, I forgot to tell you this was THE chapter, with the confession-ish situation and stuff. Eh, better to surprise you though, right?**


	8. Eight

**This chapter is short for a reason. I took out the scheduled lemon inside, because I swear I can't write stuff like that to save my life.**

**I'm in a particularly good mood today, because I just got paid yesterday. MONEY! Woo~ So… I feel like updating this again on Monday! But for now, enjoy this.**

**[Playlist: "Mission to the Deep Space" from Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth, "Near no Theme" from Note: OST 3.]**

* * *

**Chapter Eight**

* * *

Mello and Near stared at each other for a while longer, and then Mello gestured to Near with a thumb.

"Let's go to bed upstairs... This couch is kinda uncomfortable," he said, offering a hand to help Near up.

Near took the hand gratefully, and was tugged up with surprisingly little effort.

"Wow... I've never realized how strong you are Near," Mello said, in a slight awe of the demonstration of strength.

They walked upstairs together, smiles on their faces, happy that the secret was out.

* * *

When they got to their rooms, Mello looked sadly at Near.

"Um... We could... You know... Sleep in my bed... To... together... It's really comfortable..." he said, flushing a brilliant red that would have rivaled Matt's hair.

"Uh... You want to... Share a bed... with... yourself?" Near asked confusedly, his brain still befuddled by the alcohol he had consumed earlier.

"Well... No... I want to share a bed with... with... with you!" he said, looking at him sadly again.

"I just want to sleep..." Near muttered, entering Mello's room, and beckoning Mello to follow.

Mello came in, settling on his bed with a sigh.

"I've missed this bed..." he said, laying back, and grinning.

"It's a nice bed," Near said, settling next to him and closing his eyes.

Mello snuggled close, and pulled Near's hand onto his own stomach, and smiled at him with a childlike grin of happiness.

Lying on the bed beside Mello, Near gently smoothed his fingers down the hard flat stomach,_ his_ hard flat stomach. His dark violet eyes stared back at him, filled with and longing. This felt wrong in so many ways, and yet, at the same time, he couldn't deny the tingling sensations that were through his, through Mello's, body...

"Near... Please... kiss me." Strong fingers reached out, pulling on loose clothing, tugging Near down closer. Lips, soft and tender, met together, and Near finally succumbed to the overpowering feelings he had for Mello. He felt a yearning need in what should have been his groin area, and going by the hardness he felt in the exact same spot on Mello, he felt the same way too…

* * *

Matt lay awake in bed, staring at his DS, trying to ignore the noises from his neighbor's room, but at the same time grinning, knowing that Mello had finally told Near.

_I'm so happy...? I guess... I just wish they where a little quieter..._ he thought, turning the music up as loud as it would go and putting in his earphones to block out the noises, and trying to distract himself.


	9. Nine

**AN: Here's the next chapter, up on Monday just as planned. Enjoy!**

**[Playlist: "Global" by Carl Cox on Sirius Area.]**

* * *

**Chapter Nine**

* * *

The next morning woke the two sleeping lovers in a bright and happy way, birds singing outside the window, warm rays of sun teasing their flesh, the smell of each other tickling their noses, it was a perfect morning.

Near gave a shudder of happiness, and grinned, when he noticed something strange.

_Why am I on the other side of the bed?_ he thought, raising a pale hand to scratch his head. When he felt short locks instead of long blond ones, he gave a cheer filled whoop, and shook Mello awake.

"Mello! We're normal again! I'm me!" he cried, as Mello mumbled about sleep, and needing rest. Then as the words took their sweet time to sink into his mind, he realized what he had said.

"We're... normal?" he asked, lifting a hand to see that it was his own.

"WE'RE NORMAL!" he shouted, jumping out of bed and looking at himself in the mirror.

He hugged himself with glee, and then ran back to the bed.

"Let's get dressed! I'm so excited!" he said, running jubilantly to his closet, and pulling out some clothes.

He tugged on his favorite black shirt, and a pair of his jeans, grabbed a chocolate bar, and ran to the bathroom, where Near heard him give another whoop of joy before he heard the telltale snap of the chocolate bar.

Mello came bursting into the room, and said, "It's all there! Everything! I missed my body! But you left a bruise on my hip... Why weren't you careful like I was!" he said, eyeing Near with amusement.

"Sorry... I did that when I was chasing after Jarid... He can run fast for a sixteen year-old," Near replied, glad that he didn't come seeking vengeance upon him, his body was still a little worn out from last night.

"Well at least it isn't that big. If this ever happens again, be more careful!" he said, waving his chocolate bar in Near's face.

"I hope it doesn't," Near replied.

"Your baggy pajamas and those damn socks are the worst I've had to live through, no offense."

Near stared at him with utter disbelief.

"You say that after what happened last night?" he said teasingly.

"Uh... Yeah... It's just... Never mind," he said, noticing the glare he was receiving.

"That's right! You won't be saying that after I'm though with you!" Near said, his eyes narrow, but full of mischief.

"Now? I'm not recovered from the last time!" Mello cried, his eyes wide.

Near smiled, and shook his head, reaching up to play with his lock of hair he had so missed.

"No, not now, but soon," he answered, and then he pulled on his pajamas without another word.

Mello stared after him, still shocked at what Near had said to him.

Then he decided that he should go get some breakfast, his stomach was grumbling and he wanted to eat.

Near swapped his current pajamas for some clean ones, shook out his hair a little, and opened his door, only to find Matt standing there with a smile on his face.

"Congrats Snow White! How was it last night?" he asked, grinning like the Cheshire Cat.

Near stared at him, and then at his room, noticing that it WAS awfully close to Matt's room, and they DID make a lot of noise last night.

"Uh... Good, I suppose?" Near said, trying to avoid Matt's gaze.

"Just good? It sounded like a pack of rabid animals in there! 'Oh Mello!' and all that!" Matt continued, his grin getting broader.

Near flushed slightly, and mumbled something about needing to go to the bathroom and fled.

Matt just continued to smile, hoping to tease Mello about it too.

* * *

Downstairs, Mello was eating breakfast, when Matt came in with a grin on his face and plunked down opposite him.

"Hey Mels! How'd ya sleep last night...? Judging by all the noise I heard, it sounded like it was pretty difficult. What was going on in there? Did you buy a herd of elephants or something? It sure sounded like it," he said in a nonchalant manner.

Mello dropped the fork he had in his hands on the floor, where the large portion of his omelet made a satisfying 'Scraplat!' sound.

"Elephants? It sounded like elephants?" he asked, turning to Matt with a look of shock on his face.

"Yeah, and a dying cow that had a thing for Near... 'Oooooh NEEEEEEEAR!' " he said giggling at the older teen who was blushing a brilliant red by then.

"You were... Up?" Mello spluttered, trying to come to grips with what Matt was saying.

"Yeah... Unfortunately..." Matt said, shaking his head.

Mello's eye twitched, and he frowned at the gamer sitting before him.

"I'm glad you finally told him how you feel about him... Good going!" Matt said with another grin, and then he left the table, and went and got himself some of his own food.

Mello sat in shock, as his omelet went cold, finally catching his attention when it stopped steaming.

"Oh ! That was a waste!" he muttered, taking the plate off the table and dumping the cold omelet into the trash.

After that little incident, breakfast went fine without any unnecessary interruptions.

* * *

At breakfast many kids watched Mello and Near, wondering if they would do anything strange again.

Finally, Matt broke the silence with a chuckle, and turned to face Mello and Near.

"So guys, guess what?" he asked the kids at their table, grinning with a gleam in his goggled eyes.

"What?" the others said, still watching M & N.

"Mello and Near finally admitted their feelings for each other!" he cried, laughing at the faces that he received from Mello and Near.

The others gasped, and Jarid clapped.

"That's great guys!" he said, laughing.

Mello glared at Matt as he bit into his chocolate bar, while Near smiled and played with some of his hair.

"That's right... We finally told each other," he said, smiling at Mello.

It was as if the group both expected and didn't expect this to ever happen, they all wore expressions of shock and joy, a combination that left Jarid looking more like he was either going to kill someone or had to go to the bathroom.

"So you asked him, finally!" Linda said, patting Near on the shoulder.

Mello continued to glare at Matt, who was busily eating his breakfast.

"Yes... I asked," Near said, Mello's gaze still on Matt, who looked up, noticed him glaring, and gave him a cheerful smile.

"Atta boy Mello!" Linda replied, patting him on the shoulder, too.

"Okay... enough! Let's just eat in silence!" Mello muttered, glaring around the table now.

The others at the table fell silent, and ate, but they kept glancing at Mello and Near, and grinning.

And that's how the morning went.


	10. The Finale

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**AN: This chapter is the only one with a title. I'm sure no one's gonna like it.**

**Yes, this the end of 'One in For the Other.' Oh, please don't look at me like that; this was never meant to be long. But I'm gonna miss it. It was my first, after all. And yes, this chapter takes place a few weeks before Mello and Near are called in about L.**

**I'm sure most know what uke and seme are, but for those who don't I put in helpful definitions. :D**

[Playlist: "Mello no Theme" and "Near no Theme" from 'Death Note. Totally appropriate, neh?]

* * *

Chapter Ten  
The Finale

* * *

(One Year Later)

Mello and Near lay in bed together, enjoying the warm tingling feeling of their love making, sighing and laughing about the oddities they now had. For instance, Mello seemed to like taking the _uke_ (bottom or receiver) position, loving the feeling of Near within him. Also, he seemed to have a fondness for having his 'nipples played with, something that made Near grin when he discovered this. Near on the other hand, took on the role of the _seme_ (top) of the 'sexual relationship.

Near also retained some of his affection for penetrating, but Mello quickly dissuaded him of that, not needing him to be sticking things up his butt at any other such time. The biggest change, and probably the strangest thing to the outside world, would have been the fact that Near wore the metaphorical 'pants' of the relationship, which made Matt roar with laughter the first time he saw it happen in a super market. Mello didn't seem to mind being Near's 'bitch' as Jarid had called it.

* * *

Other than a few strange oddities, their relationship flourished, much to Beyond's happiness.

The red-eyed apparition smiled as he watched the two drift off to sleep, grins on their faces.

"Ha ha! It worked!" he said as he hovered above them, pumping his fist into the air and waving the other in the 'v for victory' manner.

He drifted over to the apparition that was next to him and pat it on the shoulder.

"Aren't you happy A? After all... This _was_ your idea!" he said, poking him lightly in the shoulder.

A looked at Beyond, and then smiled, nodding in a happy fashion.

"Yeah... I'm happy for them. It was some good entertainment, too. Wanna go see what we can do to L and that Raito kid?"

"Yes... Let's go play with those two," Beyond agreed, hoisting the other apparition up, and floated off with him, ready to see what other fun they could have on earth.

* * *

Near snuggled up to Mello in his sleep, wrapping an arm gently around him, and smiling. Mello moved closer to Near, and rested his head against his chest, sighing in his sleep, a smile also gracing his lips. The two were like yin and yang. Mello was dark while Near was light. Near was suppressed and lonely, while Mello was out there and surrounded by people. Near was quiet; Mello had Matt to talk to. It was strange how love could sprout so strongly between two SO different, and yet so similar as well. With just a little nudge, the two actually fit together like puzzle pieces, and that's what probably made their relationship so strong…

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**********************FIN**

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-SS


End file.
